In Holdenville, Oklahoma, Eric Torpy surprised the prosecutor and judge when he received a 30-year sentence for armed robbery and two counts of shooting with intent to kill. Instead of complaining about the length of the sentence, he asked that it be increased by three years so it would match the Celtic’s Jersey number of his idol, Larry Bird. Oklahoma City Judge Ray Elliott agreed. He is now complaining that the judge and prosecutor should not have yielded to his demand and asks “Why feed into my game? I’m a criminal.’’

Obviously, Torpy is a loon. However, I do not see why Elliott would yield to such a stupid and juvenile demand. A criminal sentence is supposed to be based on notions of just and equal punishment. It is not some impulse-buy item or joke to be adjusted for laughs and giggles. Torpy is right. He is a criminal and an obvious moron. He was, however, able to get a judge and prosecutor to demean the criminal process by playing along. When he challenges the sentence, what is the support offered by the court? It was a dare?

Judge Elliott has been speaking to the media about his sentence and said “He was just as happy as he could be.’’ Even though Torpy now says that he was “basically clowning around,” Elliott felt it was a good basis for a roughly ten percent increase in a criminal sentence. He asks “Why feed into my game? I’m a criminal.’’ It is a good question.

Judge Elliott has previously been the focus of defense objections and demands for recusal for allegedly using racially offensive words and, in one case, inappropriate influence from his wife who is a prosecutor.

Torpy says that he as “wisened up” and “I kind of wished that I had 30 instead of 33. . . . That three is a big deal, you know? Three years matters.’’ He is now 33 years old and will not be eligible until 2033. That is a lot of connections with old Celtic 33. He would have been better off worshiping Bill Russell and demanding his Celtic Jersey number (6).

Source: Boston

Jonathan Turley